Which players are poised for a breakout based on their Spring Training statistics? March 31, 2010

This is our sixth annual list of possible breakout players based on Spring Training statistics. We researched the value of Spring Training stats a few years back and it was quite revealing. For the most part, we agree with the common perception that they don't have value. A bad spring training means nothing. An average spring training tells us nothing. Nevertheless, we did find that when a player has an exceptional spring, it does suggest a better than 60% chance they will take their game up a notch. It applies to teams as well.

We define "exceptional spring" as a positive difference between a hitter's spring training slugging percentage and their lifetime slugging percentage of 200 points or more.

We analyzed hitters with both a minimum of 200 career regular season at bats and with a minimum of 40 spring training at bats (through spring training games of Tuesday, March 30) and found the following 18 players.

I have a sneak preview of FantasyLand that I am going to watch in my free time after work tonight or tomorrow. I wasn't a fan of the first trailer, ripping it in a FantasyTake for putting the geek back in Fantasy Baseball. Sam Walker's book did such a good job of taking the geek out of Fantasy Baseball and its premier league Tout Wars, legitimizing it as a hotly contested battle of science, skill and wit -- not a merely "Can you outdork this?"

Well, I am told by the documentary's PR staff that I will like the movie much more than I liked the trailer, so we will see.

Here are the release(s):

Endgame/wonderland team up for FANTASYLAND

Los Angeles (March 17, 2010) – Tipping its cap to the estimated 30 million Americans who play fantasy sports– most as a fun hobby, some as an all-consuming obsession –Endgame Entertainment and Wonderland Sound and Vision are launching a feature length documentary Fantasyland, as well as introducing fantasy centered content to be produced across all platforms exploring fantasy, both in sports and pop culture.

SnagFilms is releasing Fantasyland, which will premiere on March 19<sup>th</sup>, on their flagship site SnagFilms.com as well as Hulu.com.The film is financed and produced by James D. Stern’s Endgame Entertainment and produced with McG’s Wonderland Sound & Vision and John Limotte and Doug Bernheim’s Sound Pictures.SnagFilms is a platform dedicated to taking compelling documentaries and making them available to audiences worldwide.

Inspired by the best-selling book by Wall Street Journal Sports Editor Sam Walker, Fantasyland is a feature-length documentary about the culture and lifestyle of fantasy players. Directed by Stephen Palgon (two-time Sports Emmy winner as producer of the HBO documentary series Legendary Nights), Fantasyland follows Jed Latkin, an amateur fantasy baseball fan who earns the chance to compete with the industry's best in an expert league called Tout Wars during the 2008 baseball season. Before that season began, Jed was a rising young financial analyst planning to start a family with his new wife. But by the time the season ended, he had traveled thousands of miles to personally connect with his players, pulled countless all-nighters, and nearly missed the birth of his twin son and daughter, all in the relentless pursuit of one, increasingly elusive goal: winning Tout Wars.

“Fantasyland has a built-in audience of 30 million fantasy sports players, other fantasy and sports enthusiasts as well as people intrigued by the exciting, humorous, sometimes scary and surprising lengths to which otherwise normal people will go just to win a mere contest of pride,” says Endgame CEO James D. Stern.“We’ve long been a nation of sports fanatics, and Fantasyland reveals that fanaticism in its most intense, and entertaining, form.We’re thrilled to partner with SnagFilms to bring this film to fans and audiences worldwide and see this as the perfect launching point to inspire other fantasy centered content in the sports world.”

Before the 2004 baseball season, Sam Walker was a happily married, tie-wearing sportswriter leading a responsible and well-rounded life.But by the time that season was over, he had spent tens of thousands of dollars, traveled 19,000 miles, missed 3 weddings and a funeral, and ignored a raging fire in a neighbor’s apartment.He’d become a caffeine-addled insomniac with back spasms, willing to ignore family, work and anything else that might distract him from his one, increasingly elusive goal:winning his fantasy-baseball league.

Inspired by Walker’s best-selling book of the same name, FANTASYLAND is a documentary feature film about the bizarre and fascinating world of fantasy baseball, wherein an estimated 15 million Americans (approximately 5% of the nation’s population) actively play or have played fantasy baseball.In FANTASYLAND, we’ll meet some of these people - the fans, fanatics, experts and amateurs, who battle it out every baseball season (and beyond).

As in Sam Walker’s book, FANTASYLAND will document an “amateur” fantasy baseball player’s first season participating in Tout Wars, the ultimate fantasy baseball league, where the self-appointed gurus of the sport reside. However, unlike Sam Walker, the film’s lead character will not be a sports professional with media credentials and industry contacts; he’ll be an ordinary fantasy baseball player, who is thrown into the lion’s den of Tout Wars and forced to compete with the experts.

In 2008, Jed Latkin, a research analyst for ING and a fantasy enthusiast, beat out several hundred people for a seat at the TOUT WARS table, to test his skills against the foremost experts in the industry.Utilizing his professional skills as a trader, and his innate ability and resourcefulness, he traveled to spring training to connect with scouts, players, journalists and anyone else willing to answer his questions about which rookie is due for a breakout season, what veteran fell out of shape during the off-season, and which overpaid superstar might see his playing time cut.And his quest for information did not end once the first pitch was tossed on the 2008 baseball season:whether it was tracking down Justin Verlander to give him a pep talk, confronting Carl Crawford about his recent performance, or even learning a little Japanese to communicate with Ichiro, Jed went to any length to win the league.

FANTASYLAND also examines the ways in which Jed’s personal life was severely impacted by his obsession.Cameras followed him in his daily life as well as he had to manage his day job, a new bride, and the birth of twins.

In addition, FANTASYLAND will explore the larger cultural significance of fantasy baseball and other fantasy competitions - which includes every sport from football to soccer to Nascar, as well as fashion leagues, celebrity leagues, political leagues, and even graduate student leagues (where students draft their classmates and earn points on how well they do in school).

Ultimately, FANTASYLAND will appeal to fans of competition documentaries like “Spellbound”, “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “King of Kong”, as well as the millions of fantasy sports players, general sports enthusiasts and anyone else intrigued by the exciting, humorous, sometimes scary and surprising lengths to which otherwise normal people will go just to win a mere contest of pride.

Director - Stephen Palgon, has 12 years of experience of working with a variety of television networks (including HBO, ESPN, CBS, USA), creating featured programming including the documentary “Star Crossed: The Shakespearean Tragedy of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden”, which received a Gold Medal New York Film Award.Palgon also won two Sports Emmy Awards for producing and directing the HBO documentary series “Legendary Nights” as well as ESPN’s Hurricane Carter “Sports Century” documentary.

Producer - Endgame Entertainment is a privately financed independent entertainment company, headed by James D Stern one of the owners of the Chicago Bulls, producing and financing such films as Oscar nominated “Hotel Rwanda”, “Harold & Kumar Go White Castle”, “Lord of War” and the Oscar nominated Bob Dylan Biopic “I’m Not There” and “An Education”; while directing “Michael Jordan to the MAX” and “The Year of the Yao”.

Producer - Wonderland Sound and Vision was founded by McG who has directed several films including “Terminator: Salvation”, “We Are Marshall”, and “Charlie’s Angel’s 1 & 2”.He is also responsible for creating television shows such as “The OC”, “Chuck”, “Pussycat Dolls’, “Supernatural” and most recently “Human Target”.

Producer - Sound Pictures is an independent production company run by John Limotte and Doug Bernheim and has produced several independent films including “The Assassination of Richard Nixon”, “Live Free or Die”, “Winter Solstice”, and “Pretty Bird”.

Tim Lincecum remains atop the rankings, despite being outdone by King Felix and Zack Greinke in CBSSports.com's new standard scoring system... (I have a viz that shows what the new scoring system does to pitcher scoring, too)

Here are the results of March 1 Mock Draft Monday in a 12-team, mixed Head-to-Head points league. Join me every Monday at a designated time for a live draft. I answer questions during the draft and pick right along with the Fantasy Baseball public every Monday until the start of the regular season.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- So you say you're a Fantasy freak. Let's find out: What would it take for you to miss your draft?

A hot date? Your wedding? Your anniversary?

How about being with your wife and just born first born?

That last obstacle wasn't good enough for Dean Weisgold from the Cheltenham Baseball league on CBSSports.com. Imagine being screamed at by your laboring wife while on speakphone with your leaguemates on Draft Day.

"You care more about your stupid Fantasy team than you do about me and the baby!" they heard in the background.

Save for the screaming wife and crying newborn, there was otherwise silence over the call at that point ...

"I'll take Cole Hamels," Weisgold responded, calmly, in Round 6.

That is what Weisgold had to endure because he hasn't missed a draft in a league that began some 22 years ago -- back when Fantasy scores where tabulated with pencil and paper and the results had to be U.S. snail mailed out. He hadn't let his Fantasy friends down before and he wasn't going to miss year the league's 20th-anniversary draft for the world.

The laboring wife was none too thrilled, but this story was written and submitted by leaguemate Doug Aaron at the urging of son David and wound up earning Weisgold and his Fantasy mates 12 flights from Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Aaron's entry made the Cheltenham Baseball league winners of CBSSports.com's ULTIMATE Fantasy Baseball Draft Party, which paid for the flights, hotel accomodations, transportation, their league and a draft party attended by this Fantasy writer at the Hard Rock Cafe on Saturday, Feb. 27 (approximate retail value: $15,400).

In the end, the angst was worth it. They got to spend their draft away from the snowstorms in the northeast this past weekend, and did it on CBSSports.com's dime.

Coincidentally, we ranked Weisgold's team tops in the 11-team mixed Head-to-Head league with standard CBSSports.com scoring. If nothing else, he gets points for devotion to Fantasy Baseball.

Here are the results:

Draft Results

Round 1

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Pujols, Albert 1B STL

2

Michael Goldberg

Ramirez, Hanley SS FLA

3

David Aaron

Braun, Ryan J. LF MIL

4

John Warr

Utley, Chase 2B PHI

5

Rob Quint

Rodriguez, Alex 3B NYY

6

Dean Weisgold

Fielder, Prince 1B MIL

7

Adam Weiss

Mauer, Joe C MIN

8

Richard Kupersmith

Teixeira, Mark 1B NYY

9

Dan Aaron

Halladay, Roy SP PHI

10

Doug Aaron

Lincecum, Tim SP SF

11

Fred Diamond

Hernandez, Felix SP SEA

Round 2

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Howard, Ryan 1B PHI

2

Doug Aaron

Holliday, Matt LF STL

3

Dan Aaron

Jeter, Derek SS NYY

4

Richard Kupersmith

Kinsler, Ian 2B TEX

5

Adam Weiss

Longoria, Evan 3B TB

6

Dean Weisgold

Cabrera, Miguel 1B DET

7

Rob Quint

Tulowitzki, Troy SS COL

8

John Warr

Wright, David 3B NYM

9

David Aaron

Sabathia, CC SP NYY

10

Michael Goldberg

Kemp, Matt CF LA

11

Steve Ryan

Crawford, Carl LF TB

Round 3

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Greinke, Zack SP KC

2

Michael Goldberg

Pedroia, Dustin 2B BOS

3

David Aaron

Gonzalez, Adrian 1B SD

4

John Warr

Ellsbury, Jacoby CF BOS

5

Rob Quint

Verlander, Justin SP DET

6

Dean Weisgold

Santana, Johan SP NYM

7

Adam Weiss

Wainwright, Adam SP STL

8

Richard Kupersmith

Reynolds, Mark 3B ARI

9

Dan Aaron

Martinez, Victor C BOS

10

Doug Aaron

Zimmerman, Ryan 3B WAS

11

Fred Diamond

Rollins, Jimmy SS PHI

Round 4

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Sandoval, Pablo 3B SF

2

Doug Aaron

Morneau, Justin 1B MIN

3

Dan Aaron

Youkilis, Kevin 1B BOS

4

Richard Kupersmith

Lester, Jon SP BOS

5

Adam Weiss

Reyes, Jose B. SS NYM

6

Dean Weisgold

Hill, Aaron 2B TOR

7

Rob Quint

Cano, Rob Quintinson 2B NYY

8

John Warr

Morales, Kendry 1B ANA

9

David Aaron

Lind, Adam LF TOR

10

Michael Goldberg

Haren, Dan SP ARI

11

Steve Ryan

McCann, Brian C ATL

Round 5

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Granderson, Curtis CF NYY

2

Michael Goldberg

Sizemore, Grady CF CLE

3

David Aaron

Johnson, Josh SP FLA

4

John Warr

Peavy, Jake SP CHW

5

Rob Quint

Upton, Justin RF ARI

6

Dean Weisgold

Lee, Cliff SP SEA

7

Adam Weiss

Werth, Jayson RF PHI

8

Richard Kupersmith

Hanson, Tommy SP ATL

9

Dan Aaron

Beckett, Josh SP BOS

10

Doug Aaron

Ethier, Andre RF LA

11

Fred Diamond

Rob Quinterts, Brian 2B BAL

Round 6

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Bay, Jason LF NYM

2

Doug Aaron

Zobrist, Ben 2B TB

3

Dan Aaron

Upton, B.J. CF TB

4

Richard Kupersmith

Gallardo, Yovani SP MIL

5

Adam Weiss

Cain, Matt SP SF

6

Dean Weisgold

Carpenter, Chris SP STL

7

Rob Quint

Votto, Joey 1B CIN

8

John Warr

Markakis, Nick RF BAL

9

David Aaron

Ramirez, Manny LF LA

10

Michael Goldberg

Vazquez, Javier SP NYY

11

Steve Ryan

Kershaw, Clayton SP LA

Round 7

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Uggla, Dan 2B FLA

2

Michael Goldberg

Dunn, Adam LF WAS

3

David Aaron

Hamels, Cole SP PHI

4

John Warr

Jimenez, Ubaldo SP COL

5

Rob Quint

Lackey, John SP BOS

6

Dean Weisgold

Quentin, Carlos LF CHW

7

Adam Weiss

Suzuki, Ichiro RF SEA

8

Richard Kupersmith

Cruz, Nelson R. RF TEX

9

Dan Aaron

Papelbon, Jonathan RP BOS

10

Doug Aaron

Webb, Brandon SP ARI

11

Fred Diamond

Weaver, Jered SP ANA

Round 8

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Nathan, Joe RP MIN

2

Doug Aaron

Rivera, Mariano RP NYY

3

Dan Aaron

Broxton, Jonathan RP LA

4

Richard Kupersmith

Ramirez, Alexei SS CHW

5

Adam Weiss

Butler, Billy 1B KC

6

Dean Weisgold

Lee, Carlos N. LF HOU

7

Rob Quint

Rodriguez, Wandy SP HOU

8

John Warr

Rodriguez, Francisco J. RP NYM

9

David Aaron

Beckham, Gordon 3B CHW

10

Michael Goldberg

Billingsley, Chad SP LA

11

Steve Ryan

Berkman, Lance 1B HOU

Round 9

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Wilson, Brian RP SF

2

Michael Goldberg

Kazmir, Scott SP ANA

3

David Aaron

Wieters, Matt C BAL

4

John Warr

Montero, Miguel C ARI

5

Rob Quint

Posada, Jorge C NYY

6

Dean Weisgold

Ramirez, Aramis 3B CHC

7

Adam Weiss

Jones, Adam CF BAL

8

Richard Kupersmith

Pence, Hunter RF HOU

9

Dan Aaron

Sheets, Ben SP OAK

10

Doug Aaron

Choo, Shin-Soo RF CLE

11

Fred Diamond

Victorino, Shane CF PHI

Round 10

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Abreu, Bobby RF ANA

2

Doug Aaron

Phillips, Brandon 2B CIN

3

Dan Aaron

Polanco, Placido 2B PHI

4

Richard Kupersmith

Bell, Heath RP SD

5

Adam Weiss

Lopez, Jose 2B SEA

6

Dean Weisgold

Hamilton, Josh CF TEX

7

Rob Quint

Gonzalez, Carlos OF COL

8

John Warr

Zambrano, Carlos SP CHC

9

David Aaron

McCutchen, Andrew OF PIT

10

Michael Goldberg

Figgins, Chone 3B SEA

11

Steve Ryan

Bartlett, Jason SS TB

Round 11

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Burnett, A.J. SP NYY

2

Michael Goldberg

Street, Huston RP COL

3

David Aaron

Garza, Matt SP TB

4

John Warr

Lee, Derrek 1B CHC

5

Rob Quint

Shields, James SP TB

6

Dean Weisgold

Jurrjens, Jair SP ATL

7

Adam Weiss

Nolasco, Ricky SP FLA

8

Richard Kupersmith

Baker, Scott SP MIN

9

Dan Aaron

Stewart, Ian 3B COL

10

Doug Aaron

Jackson, Edwin SP ARI

11

Fred Diamond

Wolf, Randy SP MIL

Round 12

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Hunter, Torii CF ANA

2

Doug Aaron

Scherzer, Max SP DET

3

Dan Aaron

Ibanez, Raul LF PHI

4

Richard Kupersmith

Soto, Geovany C CHC

5

Adam Weiss

Danks, John SP CHW

6

Dean Weisgold

Happ, J.A. SP PHI

7

Rob Quint

Beltran, Carlos CF NYM

8

John Warr

Bruce, Jay RF CIN

9

David Aaron

Price, David SP TB

10

Michael Goldberg

Cuddyer, Michael RF MIN

11

Steve Ryan

McLouth, Nate CF ATL

Round 13

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Young, Michael 3B TEX

2

Michael Goldberg

Oswalt, Roy SP HOU

3

David Aaron

Fuentes, Brian RP ANA

4

John Warr

Matsuzaka, Daisuke SP BOS

5

Rob Quint

Hawpe, Brad RF COL

6

Dean Weisgold

Floyd, Gavin SP CHW

7

Adam Weiss

Kubel, Jason LF MIN

8

Richard Kupersmith

Soria, Joakim RP KC

9

Dan Aaron

Damon, Johnny LF DET

10

Doug Aaron

Lowe, Derek SP ATL

11

Fred Diamond

Martin, Russell C LA

Round 14

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Blanton, Joe SP PHI

2

Doug Aaron

Molina, Bengie C SF

3

Dan Aaron

Harden, Rich SP TEX

4

Richard Kupersmith

Anderson, Brett SP OAK

5

Adam Weiss

Aardsma, David RP SEA

6

Dean Weisgold

Suzuki, Kurt C OAK

7

Rob Quint

Pena, Carlos 1B TB

8

John Warr

Cueto, Johnny SP CIN

9

David Aaron

Franklin, Ryan RP STL

10

Michael Goldberg

Wells, Vernon CF TOR

11

Steve Ryan

Lilly, Ted SP CHC

Round 15

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Rasmus, Colby CF STL

2

Michael Goldberg

Cantu, Jorge 1B FLA

3

David Aaron

Andrus, Elvis SS TEX

4

John Warr

Valverde, Jose RP DET

5

Rob Quint

Soriano, Alfonso LF CHC

6

Dean Weisgold

Soriano, Rafael RP TB

7

Adam Weiss

Heyward, Jason OF ATL

8

Richard Kupersmith

Rios, Alex RF CHW

9

Dan Aaron

Pettitte, Andy SP NYY

10

Doug Aaron

Span, Denard RF MIN

11

Fred Diamond

Morgan, Nyjer LF WAS

Round 16

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Hudson, Tim SP ATL

2

Doug Aaron

Hoffman, Trevor RP MIL

3

Dan Aaron

Hudson, Orlando 2B MIN

4

Richard Kupersmith

Konerko, Paul 1B CHW

5

Adam Weiss

Porcello, Rick SP DET

6

Dean Weisgold

Drew, Stephen SS ARI

7

Rob Quint

Marmol, Carlos RP CHC

8

John Warr

Young, Chris B. CF ARI

9

David Aaron

Strasburg, Stephen SP WAS

10

Michael Goldberg

Bailey, Andrew RP OAK

11

Steve Ryan

Liriano, Francisco SP MIN

Round 17

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Cordero, Francisco RP CIN

2

Michael Goldberg

Sanchez, Jonathan O. SP SF

3

David Aaron

Jones, Garrett 1B PIT

4

John Warr

De La Rosa, Jorge SP COL

5

Rob Quint

Hughes, Phil SP NYY

6

Dean Weisgold

Jones, Chipper 3B ATL

7

Adam Weiss

Lidge, Brad RP PHI

8

Richard Kupersmith

Buchholz, Clay SP BOS

9

Dan Aaron

Ortiz, David DH BOS

10

Doug Aaron

Kuroda, Hiroki SP LA

11

Fred Diamond

Wood, Kerry RP CLE

Round 18

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Swisher, Nick CF NYY

2

Doug Aaron

Coghlan, Chris LF FLA

3

Dan Aaron

Loney, James 1B LA

4

Richard Kupersmith

Davis, Chris 1B TEX

5

Adam Weiss

Dempster, Ryan SP CHC

6

Dean Weisgold

Guerrero, Vladimir DH TEX

7

Rob Quint

Cabrera, Asdrubal SS CLE

8

John Warr

Escobar, Alcides SS MIL

9

David Aaron

Prado, Martin 2B ATL

10

Michael Goldberg

Matusz, Brian SP BAL

11

Steve Ryan

Blanks, Kyle RF SD

Round 19

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Ludwick, Ryan RF STL

2

Michael Goldberg

Wagner, Billy RP ATL

3

David Aaron

Borbon, Julio CF TEX

4

John Warr

Weeks, Rickie 2B MIL

5

Rob Quint

Maine, John SP NYM

6

Dean Weisgold

Escobar, Yunel SS ATL

7

Adam Weiss

Feldman, Scott SP TEX

8

Richard Kupersmith

Francisco, Frank RP TEX

9

Dan Aaron

Matsui, Hideki DH ANA

10

Doug Aaron

Hardy, J.J. SS MIN

11

Fred Diamond

Saunders, Joe SP ANA

Round 20

Pick

Team

Player

1

Fred Diamond

Buehrle, Mark SP CHW

2

Doug Aaron

Penny, Brad SP STL

3

Dan Aaron

Pierre, Juan LF CHW

4

Richard Kupersmith

Snider, Travis OF TOR

5

Adam Weiss

LaRoche, Adam 1B ARI

6

Dean Weisgold

Jenks, Bobby RP CHW

7

Rob Quint

Nunez, Leo RP FLA

8

John Warr

Marcum, Shaun SP TOR

9

David Aaron

Feliz, Neftali RP TEX

10

Michael Goldberg

Santana, Ervin SP ANA

11

Steve Ryan

Tejada, Miguel SS BAL

Round 21

Pick

Team

Player

1

Steve Ryan

Slowey, Kevin SP MIN

2

Michael Goldberg

Molina, Yadier C STL

3

David Aaron

Morrow, Brandon SP TOR

4

John Warr

Kendrick, Howie 2B ANA

5

Rob Quint

Chamberlain, Joba SP NYY

6

Dean Weisgold

Doumit, Ryan C PIT

7

Adam Weiss

Beltre, Adrian 3B BOS

8

Richard Kupersmith

Stubbs, Drew OF CIN

9

Dan Aaron

Ruiz, Carlos C PHI

10

Doug Aaron

Bailey, Homer SP CIN

11

Fred Diamond

Eaton, Adam SP UFA

In a quick post-draft review -- real quick, like just a few minutes -- we ranked the drafted teams in the following order:

It was real tough to slot most of the teams in any order, because they are so closely bunched. This draft went about the way most CBSSports.com standard drafts will go, save for some early picks with the hometown Phillies. The fact free agent Adam Eaton was picked at all -- fittingly as Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick overall -- was merely a tribute to rooting for the home team. They are from Philly, after-all, most of them doning the team colors Saturday.

The winning entrant's teenage son, David, did get chastised (slightly) for selecting Braun No. 3 overall, before the likes of A-Rod, Utley or Mauer. Poor kid.

But it wasn't as bad as the pregame Syracuse-Villanova college basketball smack talk (again, it was Philly crowd), becaue David was wearing a Villanova hat. This Fantasy writer was schooled at Syracuse. David was reminded not only is Syracuse better at basketball, but it also has a much more well-regarded journalism program. He wants to become a Fantasy writer some day, perhaps.

It is a good thing his draft went a lot better than the Wildcats' game that night. Despite that setback, David and the rest of the Cheltenham crew seemed to enjoy their prize -- save for Mrs. Weisgold and baby, who is now almost 2 years old.